41: Wealth trumps you! You dare gamble your life with me?

This time, Lin Chuan was ready to play for real.

After a round of intense play,

everyone at the table had been dealt five cards.

Clatter—

Ten million in chips, like a crimson fortress wall,

was ruthlessly shoved to the center of the table by Lin Chuan's slender hand.

"Ten million."

Lin Chuan's voice wasn't loud, but it struck like a muffled thunderclap, leaving everyone's ears ringing.

A cigarette dangling from his lips, his eyes were arrogant and wild, radiating a crazy disregard for money.

"Anyone who wants to see my hole card, put up ten million to talk."

This is what you call presence!

The presence of money!

At the poker table, deep stacks make you king!

Broken Finger Qiang, sitting across from me, twitched violently at the corner of his eye.

He glanced at his hole cards—a pair of Queens.

Not a bad hand.

But facing this massive ten-million bet, he hesitated.

If he called, this single hand would decide a twenty-million win or loss.

Although Broken Finger Qiang was a local power, he wasn't a money printer. After all, his hand wasn't great, and even if he swapped cards, it wouldn't improve much. There was no need to continue.

"Acting like a rabid dog, let's see how long your thirty million lasts!"

Broken Finger Qiang cursed inwardly, his face darkening as he folded his cards.

"I'm not playing with a madman, fold!"

Even the dealer had fled.

The remaining two players turned pale with fright and hastily threw in their cards.

However,

a young man with long hair and sinister eyes sitting to Lin Chuan's left did not fold.

He was Broken Finger Qiang's top disciple and a secret plant at this table, nicknamed Ghost Hand Cheng.

At this moment, Ghost Hand Cheng's palms were drenched in sweat.

Because he had been dealt an unbeatable hand!

A straight flush!

Moreover, just moments ago, while lighting a cigarette, he had stealthily swapped a card, replacing the original Six of Hearts with the King of Spades!

A guaranteed winning hand!

Yet, he looked at his pitifully small stack of chips, still three million short.

Facing Lin Chuan's massive ten-million bet, he felt like a butcher with a cleaver who couldn't reach the pig's neck—utterly frustrated!

"What's wrong? Out of money?"

Lin Chuan glanced at him, a mocking smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"If you're broke, get lost. Don't embarrass yourself here."

"I'll gladly take these few million in the pot."

With that, Lin Chuan reached out to gather the chips in the center of the table.

That contempt, that disregard, twisted Ghost Hand Cheng's delicate face instantly.

This was like poking the tiger's whiskers!

In his own territory, holding a straight flush, yet crushed by money?

If word got out, how could he, Ghost Hand Cheng, ever hold his head high in the Hong Kong Island underworld?

"Wait!!"

Ghost Hand Cheng slammed the table violently, his eyes bloodshot as he roared.

"Who says I'm out of money!"

"I still have my life!"

He ripped off his tie, pointing at his own head, hysterical.

"According to underworld rules!"

"When money falls short, life makes up the difference!"

"My life is worth three million!"

"I'll use my life to call your hand!!"

These words caused an uproar in the room.

Chu Tianbiao shrank back in fear, muttering, "These Hong Kong Island people are fucking crazy, gambling with their lives at the drop of a hat!"

Chu Xiong, however, shook his head, his expression complex.

This was the underworld, this was a gambler.

Blinded by the frenzy, human life was cheaper than grass.

Broken Finger Qiang, sitting nearby, initially wanted to intervene, but seeing the confident, almost manic look in his disciple's eyes, he swallowed his words.

He knew this disciple of his too well.

Without a hundred percent certainty, this kid wouldn't gamble with his life.

It seemed he had a monster hand!

"Gamble with your life?"

Lin Chuan paused, the ten million in chips still lying between them.

He slowly looked up, his eyes showing not a trace of fear, but rather a hint of amusement.

"You said it yourself."

"Three million, one life."

"Deal."

Lin Chuan snapped his fingers, as if agreeing to the most ordinary of transactions.

"Then let's show our cards."

"Hahahaha! You're dead, you bastard! You're finished!!"

Ghost Hand Cheng let out a wild laugh, afraid Lin Chuan might change his mind, and fiercely flipped over the hole card he believed he had swapped.

"Open your damn eyes and see clearly!!"

"Spades 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King!!"

"A royal flush!!!"

"Kid, not even a god can save you now!!!"

He roared until his voice was hoarse, spittle flying everywhere.

However,

the moment that crucial King of Spades was revealed,

the air suddenly fell silent.

Ghost Hand Cheng's smile froze on his face, slowly turning into disbelief and terror.

For the hole card that should have been the King of Spades

had now, astonishingly, turned into a ludicrous Two of Hearts!

"No... that's not right!"

Ghost Hand Cheng rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again.

It was the Two of Hearts.

The smallest off-suit card.

This hand wasn't a straight flush; it didn't even have a pair!

It was a completely worthless hand!

"How is this possible?!"

Ghost Hand Cheng shrieked, sounding like a eunuch whose tail had been stepped on.

"My hole card was clearly a King!!"

Across the table, Lin Chuan leisurely flipped over his own hole cards.

Three Aces, with a pair of Kings.

A full house.

Not the biggest hand, but more than enough to crush that Two of Hearts.

"Well, well."

Lin Chuan laughed, his laughter filled with coldness.

"If your eyesight is this bad, you shouldn't be trying to play cards."

"Mistaking a Two of Hearts for a King, maybe you should get eye surgery first!"

Lin Chuan leaned forward, his eyes fixed intently on Ghost Hand Cheng, who had already slumped in his chair.

"Bravo!" Chu Yueli and Chu Jiaojiao applauded from the side.

Even Chu Tianbiao, who usually disliked Lin Chuan, felt supportive seeing him sweep through Broken Finger Qiang's establishment.

"Now you've lost. Your life belongs to me."

Ghost Hand Cheng trembled all over, the color draining from his face in an instant.

He looked at Broken Finger Qiang in terror, his last lifeline.

After all, this was his master's territory; the other side shouldn't dare to go too far.

"Master!"

"This kid cheated! He must have cheated too! My card was clearly a King!!"

"Don't talk nonsense! We were so far away from you; how could we have swapped your card!" Chu Yueli protested.

Chu Jiaojiao also said angrily, "Exactly! If we win, it's cheating, but what about all your previous wins? You people have no shame! Can't handle losing?"

Chu Tianbiao also joined Lin Chuan's side, cursing Broken Finger Qiang and his crew.

"Yeah, yeah! If you can't play fair, give back what you won from us!"

Lin Chuan, however, didn't even glance at the yelping stray dog. Instead, he turned to look at Broken Finger Qiang, whose face had remained dark.

"Broken Finger Qiang."

"This guy is your disciple?"

Chu Xiong now understood: it wasn't Broken Finger Qiang who had swapped cards earlier, but this long-haired bastard by Mr. Liu's side.

Damn!

It was likely everyone at this table was one of Broken Finger Qiang's men.

They had been careless before coming.

They had only focused on Broken Finger Qiang, neglecting the others at the table.

Lin Chuan said, "I think he's quite pitiful."

"How about this."

Lin Chuan pointed at the ten million in chips on the table.

"You take out three million to buy back your disciple's life."

"Leave the money, take the man."

"How about it? A fair deal, right?"

All eyes turned to Broken Finger Qiang.

Three million.

To buy a human life.

For a wealthy disciple of a gambling king, this amount, though large, was absolutely within his means.

Moreover, it was a matter of underworld honor. Saving a disciple was only right and proper.

Chu Yueli nervously clutched her handbag, thinking Broken Finger Qiang would surely save him.

That way, Lin Chuan would get another 3 million back. Otherwise, what use was that man's life to him?

A worthless life that couldn't even be taken back to the mainland.

However,

Broken Finger Qiang only gave his weeping disciple a cold glance.

That gaze was colder than an ice cellar.

As if looking at a piece of worthless trash.

"Three million?

Are you kidding me!

This kid wasn't skilled enough and got countered. Now I'm supposed to pay to ransom him?"

"Since you won, his life is yours."

Three million was enough for him to party at the best nightclubs in Hong Kong Island for a year!

Why would he spend it on a ransom.

"Hmph."

Broken Finger Qiang sneered coldly, lit a fresh cigar, and leaned back.

"A bet is a bet."

"Once you step onto the gambling table, life or death is your own choice."

"I never interfere."

Broken Finger Qiang dared to say this because he believed Lin Chuan wouldn't dare touch his disciple here.

Since the other side wouldn't dare act, why give him 3 million?

That would be a waste of money.

Ghost Hand Cheng pleaded anxiously, "Master!"

"Relax! Nothing will happen."

Broken Finger Qiang gave him a reassuring look.

Then, Ghost Hand Cheng shot a venomous glare at Lin Chuan.

This round, Lin Chuan had won over seven million from him. He was already plotting to find Lin Chuan after they left, kill him, take the money back, and dump his body in the river.

"Fine."

Lin Chuan nodded, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Since you're so keen on rules."

"Then don't blame me."

He tilted his head slightly, raising his chin gently towards the tall figure standing in the shadows.

"Daring to gamble your life with me, truly seeking death."

"Long Wu."

"Settle the account."

"Settle what account? What do you mean? This is Hong Kong City, not Harbin. I advise you not to be too reckless, or you might not make it back, end up sunk in the river!"

"Become lonely ghosts in the river!" Ghost Hand Cheng glared at Lin Chuan, humiliated and enraged.

Broken Finger Qiang also watched Lin Chuan with shock and suspicion. Would they really dare?

Touching my people in my own establishment? Surely not.

Long Wu, who had been standing like a statue, moved.

He walked towards Ghost Hand Cheng.

Long Wu's presence was overwhelming. Ghost Hand Cheng panicked, stepping back and roaring, "You dare touch me! I'll kill you all!"

Broken Finger Qiang also shouted sternly, "Lin Chuan! I'm warning you, don't go too far!"

"Long Wu! You stop right there!"

Broken Finger Qiang bellowed.

But Long Wu only listened to Lin Chuan's orders.

If Lin Chuan told him to go east, even if there was a wall in the east, he would kick it down and keep going east.

Still as a statue until he moved.

But once he moved, it was with the force of a thunderbolt!

Everyone present only saw a blur before their eyes.

They didn't even see how he charged forward.

They just heard a whooshing sound of tearing air!

Long Wu's foot, clad in heavy leather shoes, carrying a terrifying force capable of splitting mountains and cracking stone, instantly covered the four or five meters.

Heavily!

It slammed into the chest of Ghost Hand Cheng, who had just stood up trying to flee!

"BANG!!!!!"

The impact sounded like a heavy artillery shell.

It made everyone's hearts skip a beat.

Immediately after,

came the scene that would haunt everyone's nightmares for the rest of their lives.

Ghost Hand Cheng's body, weighing over a hundred pounds, flew sideways like a broken kite with its string cut!

So fast it even left an afterimage!

"CRASH!!!"

His body smashed violently into the concrete wall five meters away.

Dust billowed!

Debris flew!

That thick load-bearing wall was actually smashed into a large, spiderweb-like crater!

Ghost Hand Cheng's entire body was embedded in that crater.

His chest was completely caved in, front pressed against back.

He didn't even have time to scream.

Only gushing mouthfuls of blood mixed with shattered internal organs spewed from his mouth.

His head lolled to the side.

Dead on the spot!

In the entire second-floor gambling hall, apart from rapid breathing, there was no other sound.

The wine glass in Chu Tianbiao's hand clattered to the floor, shattering.

He stared at the terrifying human-shaped crater in the wall, then at Long Wu, who was slowly retracting his leg, expressionless.

His legs trembled like a sieve.

Did... did he just kick someone into the wall?!

That's fucking terrifying!

Is he even human?!

Chu Xiong's pupils also contracted violently, his aged face paler than when he had lost money.

Having spent a lifetime in the underworld, he had seen ruthless people, but never anyone this ruthless!

This was absolute physical dominance!

The cigar fell from Broken Finger Qiang's mouth.

A chill shot up from his tailbone to the top of his head.

Ruthless!

Too ruthless!

Then, a surge of towering rage followed.

"Lin Chuan, you dare kill my man in my own establishment!"